1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the techniques and devices for teaching or training correct swing techniques to golfers. More specifically, this invention provides an apparatus which can be used to train golfers to employ correct eye-body coordination to recognize and improve their golf swings, permitting the trained golfers to learn to consistently hit the ball with greater accuracy by correcting the common outside-in swing path problem. Furthermore, this invention provides an apparatus which is easily carried and used by the golfer and which is adaptable to a wide variety of clubs, the needs of nearly all golfers, and both right and left-handed golfers. Moreover, this invention provides both visual guidance and audible feedback to the golfer user.
2. Description of Related Art
Golf skill training devices and the problems they purport to address are well known in the art. It is common to use various devices to teach golfers how to improve their golf skills. For many years golf professionals have experimented with many techniques and drills to help golfers solve the specific problem of an outside-in swing path. Generally, these techniques involve some combination of instruction, "mechanical thoughts," and mechanical corrections to swing. These approaches have limited, generally temporary success.
A large body of related art patents have been issued to devices for the improvement of golf swings. However, the applicant is unaware of any device or system that encompasses the combination of useful features that are embodied in this invention. In general, related art patents fall into three general classifications, as follows: (1) A group of devices which may be generally described as having a generally upwardly extending structure, employing rather complicated and inflexible guide surfaces, but which do not disclose the combination of flat strips and visual indicators of the present invention. (2) A group of mats or generally flat mechanical devices which typically do not provide the flexibility and the eye-body training of the present invention. (3) A group of devices, some of which employ flat strips or are foldable, but which fail to include the line of sight training that is the heart of the present invention.
For general background the reader is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,208,995, 3,350,101, 3,542,369, 3,550,946, 3,561,764, 3,580,584, 3,920,248, 4,164,352, 4,384,718, 4,526,373, 4,544,161, 4,718,674, 4,736,952, 4,779,872, 4,784,393, 4,786,057, 4,852,881, 4,871,175, 4,913,440, 4,915,387, 4,930,786, 5,035,433, 5,110,133, 5,139,263, 5,171,017, 5,221,089, 5,255,921, 5,275,570, 5,294,125, 5,306,011, 5,338,037, 5,350,177, 5,375,833, 5,398,937, 5,415,407, 5,423,548, 5,433,445, 5,478,081, 5,492,330, 5,527,037, 5,529,305, 5,577,967, 5,582,551, 5,595,545, Re. 32,397, and United Kingdom Patent Nos. 16,930 and 5,91,840 and Australian Patent No. AU-B-24759/88, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material disclosed therein.
The advantages of this invention over the existing devices include that it is designed specifically (1) to focus the golfer's eyes away from the ball to a position inside and in back of the target line thereby focusing the golfer on the pre-impact golf head swing path, making it much more likely that the golfer will swing the club on the correct path; (2) to utilize the golfer's natural eye-hand coordination to improve the down swing; (3) to provide a moveable sighting device and a movable audible feedback device which when used in combination give the golfer guidance for the club head path and nearly instantaneous feedback as to whether the desired path was followed; and (4) to provide a golfer training device that is adjustable, to meet the requirements of nearly all golfers, lightweight, so that it can be easily carried and set up, sized to fit in a standard golf bag and made of long lasting durable material.